Stock-car



(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

A. W. STREET.

STOCK GAR.

N. PETERS. Pinch-Lithographer, Washmgkn, QC.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet -2.'

A. W. STREET.

STOCK GAR.

110. 421,087. Patented Feb. 11, 1890.

liy- 3 Sheets- Sheet 3.

(No Model.) I

A. w. STREET.

STOCK OAR. 7 No. 421,087., I Patented Feb.'11j, 1890;

. We; a e/d 1711 61 1137' N. PETERS, Pholcukhogflphnr. Washington. D. C-

UNITE STATES Y PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR IV. STREET, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISL STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,087, dated February 11, 1890. Application filed February 6,1889. Serial No. 298,820. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. STREET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Freight-Oars, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My present invention, while applicable in part to the construction of steam railwaycars generally, is more particularly designed as an improvement upon that class of stockcars especially adapted for the transportation of sheep or hogs, and in which the body of the car is divided transversely about midway its height by a deck or platform that can be raised out of the way when the car is to be used as an ordinary freight-car.

My invention consists in various novel features of construction, which will be hereinafter fully described,-and will be particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specificatio'n.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the body of a stock-car having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail view of the hanger-bar for the lower door. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, in vertical transverse section, on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the car-body shown in Fig. 1, the delivery-box for water or liquid food being shown in vertical section. Fig. 4 is a plan view, with the roof removed, of the car illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the car illustrated in Fig. 1. 7

The body of the car comprises the lower sills A, whereon are sustained the open-work sides of the car, preferably formed bythe longitudinal slats B, that are suitably fastened to the vertical posts 0.

Beneath the stringers A, and extending from end to end of the car in a well-known manner, are fixed the truss-rods D, the ends of which are suitably fastened in the crosssills at the respective ends of the car.

Through the sills A of the car pass the stay rods or bars E and E, that extend up= wardly in oblique direction toward the trans verse center of the car and through the beams F, that run lengthwise of the car adjacent the eaves of the roof. The stay-rods E guarding against the tendency of the car to sag or break at its center.

. The feature of uniting the stay-rods at their upper ends I regard as novel, and it is obvious that this feature of my invention, while of particular advantage in connection with the construction of stock-cars in which heavy weights are to be carried, can also be employed with advantage in the building of other classes of railway-cars.

I will next describe that part of my invention which relates to the central shifting deck or platform and the means whereby the same can be raised or lowered.

In the construction of the type of stockcars in which a shifting deck or platform has been employed great difficulty has been found in the lifting of the deck or platform, by reason of the fact that, in the winter-time especially, the refuse collecting around the edge of the deck or platform would pack against the walls of the car and there freeze, so as to render it difficult or impossible to lift the deck or platfom to the upper part of the car.

One object of my present invention is to avoid all danger of the clogging of the shifting deck or platform, and this I have accomplished by providing thedeck or platform G with a base-board or guard-board g, affixed thereto and extending around the sides and ends thereof. By the employment of this base-board or guard 1 all refuse will be re tained upon the platform G,so that the danger of its packing against the walls'of the car-body and interfering with the lifting of the deck or platform G is avoided. This deck or platform G is preferably provided with stringers g extending from end to end thereof, and by preference also is braced by the cross-rods g applied in suitable numbers to give the requisite strength to the deck or 'Ico platform.

In order to enable the deck or platform G to be readily raised to ,the upper portion of the car-body, so that the car can be used as an ordinary freight-car for the reception of furniture or other bulky freight, I have connected to the platform G the lifting-chains H, the lower ends of these chains being shown as fastened to suitable bolts 72 while the upper ends of the chains pass over the pulleys Il,aflixed to cross-beams at the top of the car, and are attached to the winding-shaft 1-1 that extends from end to end of the car and is journaled in the cross-beams A thereof. These lifting-chains ll will be distributed at suitable points and in suitable number; but by preference the chains leading to opposite sides of the deck or platform G will be con nccted at diiferentpoints of the winding rods II, as seen in Fig. 4, so as to permit the chains to be freely wound upon the rod without interference. One end (or, if desired, both ends) of the winding-shaft H is extended through the end beam A at the top end of the car, and is provided,preferably, with a gear-wheel 2, with which will engage the pinion 8, that is suitably sustained upon the end beam A, the shaft of this pinion 3 having fixed thereto a winch 41, so that by the turning of the winch and of the pinion 3 thegearwheel 2 will be revolved and the windingshaft II will be turned. 13y preference this winch 4 will be pivotally connected,-as at 5, to the end of the shaft of the gear-wheel 3, and a suitable hole or slotwill be formed in the winch to receive the eyebolt '7, projecting from the face of the wheel 2, when it is desired to lock the winding-shaft 1-1 against movement. From this construction it will be seen that by turning the winch 4 the winding-shaft II will be revolved in such manner that the chains 11- will be wound thereon and the platform or deck G will be raised to the upper part of the body of the car. It is also apparent that when the deck or platform is thus raised the winch i can be turned until the eyebo'lt '7 enters the perforation in the winch, thereby permitting the seating or locking of the gearavheel and the windingshaft against backward movement.

I11 order to deliver the water or liquid food to the animals within the car, I provide the novel mechanism next to be described.

Between the vertical posts 0 at the sides of the car-body are journaled the upper and lower sets of troughs K and K, these troughs being pivoted between and to the side posts 0 by means of suitable pins k, that extend through the posts and through the ends of the troughs. It will be observed that the pivot-pins 7a, whereby the troughs K and K are sustained, pass through the ends of the troughs at the inner side of their vertical centers, so that the normal tendency of the troughs will be to turn downward in such manner as to dump their contents outward and away from the car.

In order to hold the troughs K and K in proper position to receive and retain the water or liquid food delivered thereto, I connect to each pair of troughs K and K a shifting rod L, the upper end of this red being bent inwardly and connected to a pivoted link or hanger L, that depends from the top of the car. The number of shifting-rods L and of the pivoted links or hangers L is shown as corresponding with the pairs of upper and lower troughs K and K, and each of the pivoted links or hangers L will be connected by a suitable rod or chain L with its appropriate loeking-lever L that is fixed upon the tilting shaft D, which extends from end to, end ,of the car, is journaled in the crossbeams A, and is provided, preferably at one end, with a shifting-handle L, by means of which the tilting shaft can be operated. A suitable retaining devicesuch, for example, as a chain Lwill be fixed to the end beam A, in order to hold said shifting-handle in proper position and retain the troughs K and K in proper place for receiving the water or liquid food. From this construction it will be seen that when the handle L and the connected parts leading therefrom to the troughs K and K are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings the troughs K and K will be held in place for retaining the water or liquid food; but when it is desired to dump the water or liquid food it is only necessary to shift the handle L so as to permit the troughs K and K to swing downward, thus dumping the waste outward and away from the body of the car. 7

In order to .deliver the water or liquid food to the troughs K and K, I extend along .each side of the car and above the troughs a series of delivery-pipes M, these pipes being provided with perforations m, opening downwardly and inwardly in order to deliver the water or food directly into the troughs. My purpose in thus employing straight pipes M extending above the troughs K and K is to permit these pipes to be readily cleaned when desired by the insertion of a brush or cleaning-rod therein and to avoid the necessity of using supplemental pipes leading from said main deliverypipes M into the troughs. This feature is of great advantage, not merely by reason of the fact that a niore'ready cleaning of the delivery-pipes M is permitted, but furthermore the necessity of employing short pipes extending from said main deliverypipes to the troughs and the expense incident thereto are avoided.

From the outer ends of the upper. set of delivery-pipes N extend the angular pipes M, that connect the pipes M with the deliveryhopper N, and from the outer end of the lower set of delivery-pipes M extend theangular pipes M that are coupled to the vertical pipe M that leads into the bottom of the delivery-hopper N.

Vithin the hopper N will be placed a suitable controllingvalve comprising a main rod 0, suitably sustained, as by the bracketso, aliixed to the hopper and provided with the valves 0, adapted to control the How of liquid. through the pi pcs M, and provided, also, with avalvc 0'" to control the flow of liquid through the vertical pipe M that connects with the lower set of delivery-pipes M. My purpose in thus connecting the upper and lower sets of delivery-pipes M with the hopper N by means of the pipes M, M and M and in employing the valve for controlling the flow of liquid through said pipes, is to enable the liquid to be delivered in proper quantity and manner to either the upper or the lower sets of delivery-pipes M and thence to the troughs K and K, and it is plain that by this means the lower troughs-K can be first filled, the valve 0 within the hopper being at such time raised to permitthe passage of fluid through the pipes M and afterward by shifting the rod 0 to the position shown in Fig. 3 the pipe M can be closed and the pipes H be opened in order to permit the upper set of troughs K to be filled. Except for some such provision it would obviouslybe necessary to employ a separate hopper for the upper and lower sets of delivery-pipes.

'In order to insure that the hopper N shall .be properly closed to prevent the access thereto of dust or dirt, I provide this hopper with a gravity-lid n, that is connected by the pivoted arms n with the ends of the hopper, and these arms being preferably pivoted both -to the lid and to the body of the hopper, it is plain that they will permit the lid to be freely lifted when desired, and yet will insure that the weight of the lid will maintain the closed condition of the hopper at other times.

As this class of stock-cars is frequently to be used for the transportation of sheep, provision is made whereby hay can be delivered to the animals in transit; hence between each two of the side bars 0 is placed the cross-bar C, from the inner edges of which rise the rods 0, the upper ends of which are held in a suitable cross-rod 'c, and in the space thus formed between the vertical rods 0 and-the slats B of the car will be held the hay.

In order to guard against the danger of the hay being set on fire by sparks or cinders from the locomotive, I provide opposite the hay-racks the guard-bars P, that are connected together by means of the straps p, the upper bent perforated ends of these straps p .encircling the guide-rods 19, that are affixed to the beams F and to the slats B. From this construction it will be seen that when .it is desired to close thespaces between the slats B of the hay-racks and the spaces above these slats it is only necessary to slide upward the guard-bars P, after which the bars can be held in such position by means of suitable catches R, affixed to the ends of the beams F and the bars P. A suitable batten or molding W will be extended beneath the eaves of the car, against which the upper edge of the guard-bars P will abut when these .bars have been lifted in order to close the hay-racks to prevent the entrance of sparks or cinders.

Doors S and T are employed to close the doorways formed at the sides of the car. The

door to be locked in well-known manner to the newel-posts of the doorway.

As it is desirab1e,when the car is to be employed for the transportation of ordinary freightsuch as furniture or other bulky articlesthat the main doorway shall be continuous' and unobstructed from top to bottom, I provide the hanger-bar or guide-bar V of. the lower door T with a suitable hinged joint, as shown at 1;, whereby the portion of this bar that extends across the main doorway can be turned backward and out of the way when the doorway is to be made continuous and unobstructed from top to bottom. Thus it will be seen that when the two doors S and T are to be used independently,

as shown in Fig. 1, the hinged end of the hanger-bar V ext-ends across the doorway,

and its free end is held by a suitable latch 0r staple v, affixed to the newel-post; but when the main doorway is to be left unobstructed this hinged portion of the hanger-bar V will e be turned backward upon its hinged joint '0 and will be fastened to a suitable staple or similar device upon the vertical post 0, to

which the rear end of this hanger-bar V" is 1 connected. I used as a single unobstructed doorway, 1t -1s WVhen the doorway is thus tobe 1 desirable that the doors S and T should be connected together in such manner that they will slide and operate as a single doorway,

and for this reason the bar S upon the upper door S is formed .as a hanger-bar somewhat similar to the hanger-bar V, so as to permit the hangers t of the lower door T to be hooked over this bar S, in order that the lower door T shall move with the upper door S as the latter is operated back and forth.

It will be readily'understood that the details of construction above set out, both with respect to the hanger-bar V and the bar S, may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention-as, for example, by employing simple loops or staples upon the door S to receive the hangers t of the lower door T, and by otherwise hinging or movably connecting the hanger-bar V, so that it. can be withdrawn or removed when the main doorway is to be left unobstructed.

It will also be understood that'many of the details of construction above set out can be varied within wide limits by the skilled mechanic without departing from the spiritor scope of my invention. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

IIO

1. In a railway-ear, the combination, with he body of the car, of the stay-rods E, the rods on the same side of the car being united together at their upper ends and extending from bottom to top of the car in oblique direction, substantially as described.

2. In a railway stock-car, the combination, with the body of the car, of a shifting deck provided with a continuous guard-board 9 extending around both its side and end edges to a distance above the upper surface of the deck, whereby the refuse deposited upon the deck will be retained thereon and will be prevented from clogging against the side and end walls of the ear, substantially as described.

3. In a railway stoek-car, the combination, with the body of the car, of a shifting deck, suitable lifting-chains connected to said deck, a winding-shaft to which said lifting-chains are connected, said shaft being extended outside of the car, suitable gear-wheels in connection with said windingshaft, a winch having a pivoted handle for operating said gearwheels and windingshaft, and suitable means for fastening said winch to one'of the gearwheels, whereby the movement of said parts is prevented, substantially as described.

4. In a railway stock-car, the combination, with the body of the car having the upper and lower decks, and with the upper and lower sets of feed-troughs, of suitable shifting-rods connected to both said upper and lower sets of troughs, a single dumping rod or shaft extending from end to end of the car, and suitable connections between said shifting-rod and said dumping-shaft, substantially as described.

5. In a railway stock-ear, the combination, with the body of the car and suitable feedtroughs, of suitable upper and lower delivery-pipes for said troughs, a delivery-hopper with which said upper and lower sets of delivery-pipes are connected, and a suitable valve or valves located within said hopper for controlling the flow of liquid through said upper and lower sets of delivery-pipes, substantially as described.

6. In a railway stock-car, the combination, with the body of the car and suitable upper and lower feed-troughs, of upper and lower sets of delivery-pipes for said feed-troughs, a delivery-hopper with the sides of which said upper set of delivery-pipes are connected and with the bottom of which said lower sets of deli\*ery-pi1 )es aie connected, and suitable valves for controlling the flow of liquid through said upper and lower sets of delivery-pipes, substantially as described.

7. In a railway stock-car, the combination, with the body of the ear and the racks having the slats B extending across the outer sides thereof, of the vertically-movable guardbars P, suitable tie rods or bars 2), connecting said guard-bars, said tie-rods having perforated upper ends, and suitable hanger-rods p, whereon said tie-rods are held in a manner free to move, substantially as described.

8. In a railway stock-car, the combination, with thebodyof a car, of suitable upper and lower doors S and T, a hanger-bar and hang ers for sustaining the upper door S, a movable hanger-bar and hangers for sustaining the lower door '1, and suitable means whereby said lower door can be connected to and be sustained to move with said upper door when the hanger-bar of said lower door has been removed from across the doorway, substantially as described.

ARTHUR \V. STREEJ.

Witnesses:

GEO. P. FISHER, Jr., I. B. CARPENTER. 

